Honing machine



July 21, 1942. H. R. BERARD nonme MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 193s Patented July 21, 1942 UNITED STATES HONING "mom 1 Hectorlt. Berard, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Heald. Machine Company, Worcester,

PATENT OFFICE REISSUED- Mass, a corporatitr of Massachusetts 'Application Novembcr' 5, 1936, Serial No. 109,339

"'10 Claims.

for honing workpieces and is especially directed to a machine by which the pressure exerted by the individual honing members on the workpiece may be varied during the honing operation. In certain types of honing it is desirable to start the honing operation with the honingmembers exerting a relatively high pressure on the,-

workpiece, with this pressure being gradually reduced as the honing operation continues in order to produce the desired finish on the surface 01' the workpiece. The principal object of the present invention isto provide for automatically varying the amount of pressure exerted by the honing members during the honing operation.

One particular feature is the provision for re-i ducing the pressure exerted by the honing mem-- bers as the operation continues, until the membars are ultimately withdrawn from the workpiece suriace. r

Other and further objects and advantages of the. invention will hereinafter more fully appear, from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which'the single figureis a side elevation of a honing head embodying the invention, with partsin section, to show certain features, and with parts tdiagrammatically shown.

Like reference character refer to like parts throughout the drawing.

witnreference to the drawing, the machine which closes one embodiment .of the inventiong asa-Lbase Lon; which is mounted, for reciprocation, a table 5. the base being-provided with guideways, not shown, on which thetable is slidable. A bridge] extends over the table at one end of thebase; Eithenthe workpiece or therhone mayd'ie mountedon the table: in the arrangement shown the bridge carries a honin: head 4, and the workpiece a operamd upon mute bone is mofinted m a suitable work-support 5 seemed to. the table. The table is shifted by anysuitable mechanism, by the well dle to permit. the substitution of one hone for fl ese l p ls hold the pl 0 1' th (cur-92) The present invention relates to a machine r another having diiierenthoning characteristics. The spindle is rotated. by a pulley I on the left "handeend of the spindle.

The hone'disclosed is similar to the hone de- ;5, scribed and shown in the co-pending Blood application, SerlalNo'. 100,580, filed September 14,

1936, now Blood Patent No. 2,086,660, dated July 13,1937, although other similar type of hone can'be used. .It is suflicient to note for '10 the purposes oi the present application that the hone comprises an arbor ll having an axial bore II ,in which a spindle i2 is slidablea the latter being suitably held against rotation within the arbor. The spindle l2, as shown, is made up of lidseparate elements which are, however, functiontally integral and are so described. The arbor l| has a plurality'oi radial slots II in each of which is positioned a hone carrying lever l4, and

' an .arcuate" shoulder I! on the spindle I2 is ensageable. with an armiate protuberance It at the corner of each-of the levers, A cylindrical hub.- II on the arbor has an internal thread to provide lior attachment of the bone to the-end or the spindle 1,

Surrmmding was, at the or the slots is a ring il suitablysecured to the arbor. Between the ring and the arboris clamped a resi1- lent disk. I} in the form of aidlaphraam having a plurality of inwardly extending fingers 2|, one

of which proiectsdnwardlyinto each of the 's1tS|. Each lever I has an .arcuate lug 2| engageable with the inner or left hand side 0! the corresponding finger 20fto permit rocking move-l ment of said. lever about thelug 2l.' The opposite end'of the lever has an arcuate lug 22 which engages lnan arcuate recess 23 in a hone carrier 24. On the outer side of eachcarrier is aplate 25 to which is secured, as by a. suitable adhesive,

40 a honing member, preferably in the form of a stone 26, of abrasive material. The honing stones are additionally held-on the carrier plates by flanges 21 extending outwardly from the plates. W l:

do The plates are releasably on the car' riers by coil springs 28 and 29, each in the form ,of an annulus extending around the arbor. The spring 2 is positioned at the inner or left hand end of the plates and engages with the left hand of the'plate which forms the recess engaging in a correspondingly shaped recess 3| inith'e calcarriers and also hold the carriers in engagement with the corresponding levers l4. The levers are held in predetermined relation to each other by a coil spring 32, also in the form of an annulus, positioned in a slot 33 provided in the arbor ll. The spindle l2 has an axially positioned bolt 34 in the end thereof by which to control the effective length of said spindle, the bolt being locked inadj-usted position by a clamping nut 35.

For expanding the hone the spindle 7 has an axial bore 34 in which the inner end of the spindle I2 is received. Within the bore 34 is positioned an actuating rod 31 having at the right hand endthereof a plunger 34 engageable with the head of the bolt 34 and the rod is urged to the right by a compression spring 39 surrounding the rod and positioned between the plunger 38 and a collar 40 within the bore. Movement of the rod 31 to the right is limited by a nut 4| on the threaded left hand end of the rod, said nut having a projecting flange engageable with the end of the pulley 9. A second nut 42 on the rod is held against turning movement relative to the nut-4| by a pin 43 extending through both of the nuts, and a coil spring 44 positioned between the nuts and engageable in recesses therein urges the nuts apart to place a frictional drag thereon.

A compensation for wear on the honing stones is provided and this compensatory mechanism may correspond to that disclosed in the copending application of Blood and Schmidt,'Serial No.

103,725, flied October 2, 1936, now Patent No. 2,174,029 dated September 26, 1939. By this arrangement, when the stones 26 become worn the nuts 4| and 42 are backed away on the rod to allow a slightly greater expansion of the hone which will compensate for reduction in size thereof. To this end the nut 4| has a collar 45 extending therearound and in a position for engagement with a radial flange 46 on the nut 42. The collar is mounted in an open slot 41 in an arm 44 and is carried on trunnions, not shown, extending inwardly from opposite sides of said slot for turning movement of said collar therein. The arm 48 is'journalle'd on a pin 44 in a bracket 50 secured to the housing 8. 4 projecting bar If forming part of the arm 48 has an adjustable stop 42 engageable with a part of the bracket and an adjustable stop 53 in the bracket is engageable with the bar 5|. The cooperating stops I2 and i3 limit the rocking movement of the arm 44 in both directions.

The lower end of the arm 481 has a plunger 64 slidably mounted therein and normally urged into the position shown by a coil spring 55 surrounding the plunger. The movement of the latter to the right is limited by adjusting nuts 56on the left hand end of said plunger. The plunger is in a position for engagement with the end of the table 2 as the latter reaches operative position and an oscillation .of the arm 48 occurs during the reciprocatory movement of the table while in operative position. 7

In the normal oscillatory movement of the arm 48 the collar does not come in contact with the flange 40 since the latter is moved to the left as the collar moves to the left by the contraction of the hone resulting from movement of the workpiece to the left relative to the stones. As the stones become worn so that a compensation for wear is necessary, the flange 45 is moved less and less to the left during the honing operation until the flange 46 and collar 45 engage each other with sufficient pressure for the nut 42 to be held against turning movement by the collar, thereby turning the nuts 4| and 42 a slight amount on the rod 31.

The above structure is all fully described and claimed in earlier patents and copending applications and does not, of itself, embody the present invention. The latter involves, in connection with the above or similar honing machine elements, the attainment of the objects and novel features above set forth. In accordance with the present invention the hone is expanded against the workpiece by afluid pressure actuated mechanism supplementing the usual spring I! and the fluid pressure mechanism is arranged to procure a gradual reduction in the pressure exerted by the stones on the workpiece until the hones are fully withdrawn from engagement with the honed surface.

With reference again tothe drawing, the nut 42 on the outer end of the rod 31 has an integral flange ii, in which are provided slots for balls 51'. A flanged collar is held against movement relative to the flange 51 by a cap I! extending over the flange 51 and engaging the balls 51, said cap being in threaded engagement with the collar 58. The collar II is secured by a key 60 to a piston rod 6! having at its oppositeend a piston '82 slida'ole in a cylinder II in ahousing 84 secured to the main housing I. The piston 62 is normally urged to the left by a heavy coil spring 65 positioned between the piston and a ring 66 surrounding the piston rod at the right hand end of the cylinder. The spring 85 is heavy enough to counteract the effect of the spring I! and thus normally hold the hone in contracted position. 7

Fluid under pressure is directed to the left hand end of'the cylinder 61 for expanding the hone. To this end, the cylinder 63 has a port G1 at the left hand end which is connected by a conduit 68 to a port I! in a valve casing 14. A branch conduit ll provides a connection between the conduit 68 and a port 12 axially spaced from the port 09 in the casing II. A valve 73. slidable within the valve casing, normally provides a fluid connection between an inlet port 14 in the casing 10 and the port 69 by a reduced portion ll of the valve, and the same reduced portion connects the port 69 to a port 16 substantially opposite to the port 69. The port 74 isconnected to a suitable source of fluid under pressure, not

shown, which may be a constant pressure pump. A projecting valve stem 17 on the valve is connected to the armature ll of a solenoid I! which is energized at the begirming of the honing op-. eration to hold the valve 12 in the position shown. During. the honing operation the valve 13 is shifted to the right under the action of a spring positioned in the casing at the left hand end of the valve. For effecting the shifting of the valve 13 to the right, the circuit through the solenoid-is broken during the honing operation by any suitable mechanism, which may be, for example, a mechanism corresponding to the tim. ing elements described in the copending application of Blood and Schmidt, Serial No. 103,725, flled October 2, 1936, above referred to. In any event, the circuit through the solenoid 19 is broken during the honing operation to de-energize the solenoid, thereby allowingmovement of the valve 12 to the right, closing the ports 6! and I6 and providing fluid connection between the ports 12 and a port 8! around a second reduced portion 82 of the valve.

The port I. is connected by a conduit 83 to a port N at the leit hand end of a casing I! having a cylindrical bore 86 in which a plunger 81 is slidable. An exhaust port $8 is also provided at the same end of the cylinder 06 and has a throttle valve 88 located therein to control the amount or fluid exhausting from the cylinder. The casing 85 has a second cylindrical bore 98 slightly smaller in diameter than the bore 86 and a valve Si is located in this bore. A coil spring 82 between the plunger 81 and valve 8| holds the valve 8| in the right hand position shown while the plunger 81 remains in the position shown. Movement of the plunger 81 'to the right is limited by engagement with the shoulder 93 at the right hand end of the bore 86.

The valve port 8| in the casing 10 is connected by a conduit 84 to sport 8,! in the casing 85 and this port is normally connected by a reduced portion 86 or the valve ll toan inlet port 91 suitably connected to the same source or pressure to which the port 14 is connected. A bypass conduit 98 provides a connection between the conduit 94 and a port 99 at the right hand end of the valve 9|. An exhaust port I adjacent the right hand end of the bore 90 in the casing 85 is normally closed by the valve at but is opened as the valve moves to the left.

As stated above, the structure for automatic de-energizing oi the solenoid "during the honing operation may correspond to the timing mechanism disclosed in the Blood and Schmidt application, Serial No. 103,725. To this end the base l of the machine may have mounted thereon a timing element IOI, of any well known character, which is set in operation as the table 2 moves toward the workpiece by means of a cam I02 which engages the actuating arm I03 of the timer. Timer leadsllll and I05 are connected in series with the solenoid l8 and a suitable source of power, not shown. The timer is adjusted to close the circuit through the solenoid'as the table 2 reaches the leit hand position shown, with the work in engagement with the hone, and to break the circuit through the solenoid a predetermined time thereafter. The time interval is determined by suitable adjustment of the timer.

In the operation of the machine the table 2 moves to the left into the position shown with a workpiece a in engagement with the honing stones. The hone is, however, collapsed between honing operation by the spring 65 which exerts a great enough pressure on the piston 62 to overcome the expanding effect of the spring 39. When the table 2 reaches operative position the solenoid I! is suitably energized to shift the valve 13 into the position shown for directing fluid under pressure from the port 14 to the port 69 and thence to the left hand end of the cylinder 63, thereby procuring an expansion oi the hone to urge the stones into operative engagement with thereby allowing the valve 13 to move into its right hand position, cutting oi! the flow oifluid to the cylinder 63 by wayoi the port 68, but

allowing the admission of fluid under pressure from the valve 8| by way of the ports 8| and II. When thevalve Ills shifted, fluid under pressure to the cylinder bore 88 is cut oil and, as fluid continues to exhaust from this bore through the port 88 the plunger 81 is gradually moved to the iett by the spring I2. The fluid under pressure entering the port 98 at the right of the valve al ultimately overcomes the holding. action or.

the spring 82 and the plunger 01, thereby eflecting a movement of the valve II to the leitto open the exhaust port Ill and thus allow the gradual escape of fluid under pressure from the cylinder 63. As the valve II moves to the left the port 95 is at least partially closed to throttle the amount of fluid under pressure passing around the valve 9| and entering the conduit 84, so that all this fluid and that in the cylinder 62 may graduall exhaust through the port I013. The fluid pressure in the cylinder 63 is thus gradually diminished as the exhaust port I0 is opened more and more so that the pressure exerted by the honing stones on the workpiece is similarly reduced until the stones, are flnally withdrawn from engagement with the workpiece by the action or the spring I5.

From the foregoing it will be apparentthat the present invention provides for an automatic change in the pressure exerted on the workpiece by the honing stones.- .In the particular embodiment of the invention described above, this change in the amount of pressure comprises a gradual reduction in the pressure exerted by the stones so that the stones exert less and less pres-.

sure during the honing operation untilthe stones are completely withdrawn from engagement with the workpiece. I

I claim:

1. In a. honing device, a hone arbor, at least one honing member movable relative thereto,

means for urging said member into operative position relative to the arbor for engagement means being controlled by fluid under pressure.

the workpiece surface at a pressure controlled .a predetermined period the solenoid I9 is suit.-

ably de-energized by any automatic mechanism,

2. In a honing device, a bone arbor, a honing member movable relative thereto, fluid pressure actuated means for procuring a movement of said member into operative relation to a workpiece, and automatically operative means for without varying the operative position of the honing member.

4. In a honing device, a bone arbor, a honing member movable relative thereto. an actuating rod for said member, fluid pressure actuated means for moving said rod in one direction, re-

direction, and means for automatically varying the fluid pressure in said fluid pressure actuated means without varying the operative position of the honing member.

5. In a honing device, a hone arbor, a honing member movable relative thereto, an actuating rod for said member, fluid pressure actuated means for moving said rod in one direction, resilient means for urging said rod in the opposite direction, and means for automatically varying the fluid pressure in said fluid pressure actuated means during a honing operation for varying the pressure between the member and a workpiece without varying the operative position 01' the member relative to the arbor.

6. .In a honing device, a hone arbor, a honing member movable relative thereto, an actuating rod for said member, fluid pressure actuated means for moving said rod in a direction to move the member into operative position, resilient means for urging saidrod in the opposite direction, and means for controlling the action of the fluid pressure actuated means for procuring a gradual change in the pressure exerted by the member against a workpiece without varying the operative position of the member relative to the arbor.

'I. In a honing device. a hone arbor, at least one honing member movable relative thereto, and fluid pressure controlled means for urging said member into operative relation to a workpiece with a varyingg pressure during a honing operation without varying the position of said member relative to the arbor, said fluid pressure controlled means also procuring an automatic retraction of the honing member from operative position at the end 01' the honing operation.

8. In a honing device a head, a spindle Journalled in the head, a hone mounted on one end of the spindle, said hone comprising an arbor, at least one lever mounted in the arbor for rocking movement relative thereto and a honing member carried by said lever, acplunger axially slidable in the spindle, said plunger by axial movement procuring movement of the honing member relative to the arbor into and out of operative position, resilient means engageable with the plunger to urge said plunger axially in one direction, fluid "pressure means associated with the plunger to move said plunger in the opposite direction and means to provide for gradual reduction in the pressure of the fluid in said fluid pressure means for varying the pressure exerted by said fluid pressure means on the plunger.

9. In a honing device a head, a spindle Journailed in the head, a hone mounted on one of the spindle, said hone comprising an arbor, at least one lever mounted in the arbor tor rocking movement relative thereto and a honing member carried by said lever, a plunger axially slidable in the spindle, said plunger by axial movement procuring. movement or the honing member relative to the arbor into and out of operative position, resilient means engageable with the plunger to urge said plunger axially in one direction, fluid pressure means associated with the plunger to move said plunger in the opposite direction, said fluid pressure means including a piston and cylinder, one of which is connected to the plunger, means for directing fluid under pressure to said cylinder for movement oi the plunger in one direction, and means to provide ior a gradual reduction in the pressure or the fluid in the cylinder for a gradual reduction in the pressure exerted by the honing member against a workpiece.

' 10. In a honing device a head, a spindle Jour-' nailed in the head, a hone mounted on one end of the spindle, said hone comprising an arbor, at least one lever mounted in the'arbor for rocking movement relative thereto and a honing member carried by said lever, a plunger axially slidable in the spindle, said plunger by axial movement procuring movement of the honing member relative to the arbor into and. out oi operative position, resilient means engageable with the phmger to urge said plunger axially 'in one direction,

fluid pressure means associated with the plunger to move said plunger in the opposite direction, means for limiting the movement of the plunger in one direction, thereby determiningthe operative position or the honing member, and means for automatically adjusting said limiting means to compensate for wear on the honing member.

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